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Where do we begin to capture the raw human gravity pervading the air at the ‘17th Annual Dinner Tribute to Black Political Prisoners’ hosted by the Malcolm X Commemoration Committee last week at the MLK 1199 Labor Center in New York City?

Do we begin with the obvious room full of emotion for men and women who are now virtually unknown to the communities they sacrificed their lives for?

Or the haunting litany of the time-served for most of the longest held political prisoners captured on the evening’s program, a list approaching 900 years!… 900 years!

Let’s give this some specifics.

If we look at the time served for the political prisoners who were represented by their families at this dinner alone, Sundiata Acoli in his 40th year, Russell ‘Maroon’ Shoatz in his 37th year, Robert ‘Seth ’Hayes in his 40